ALASKA!!!!! Part 1

All smiles as the adventure begins in Sitka

This post is going to be as much about the incredible trip we had to Alaska as about running a trail in the 31st state of my quest to run a trail in every state. Kendall, his brother Steve, Steve's wife Kitty, and I signed up for a "Glacier Bay and Island Adventure" small ship cruise with Alaskan Dream Cruises. It was amazing - just 38 passengers, an attentive, competent, fun-loving crew, cultural adventures and mind-boggling wildlife and scenery. Astounding. Plus I got in four trail runs and one back-and-forth-back-and-forth run along a dock. Oh! And a Polar Plunge!  Here's just a glimpse into what we experienced.

Sitka and Cruise Day 1

We arrived in Sitka the day before we were to get on the ship (Chichagof Dream). Happily, Sitka also has a National Historic Park with trails! The Alaska trail happened in a hurry! Yes, the park had trails and totems, bald eagles, so many salmon you could practically walk across their backs to cross the river, and lush rain forest foliage - but it also had the hugest, loudest ravens I have ever seen or heard. When I first entered the forest and heard those ravens I was thunderstruck. That, even more than the huge puddle of bear pee I saw along my run, had my nerves jumping!

Southeastern Alaska: Rainforest!!!

 

Zillions of salmon run the Indian River in the Park

Two of the many Totems along the Sitka National Historical Park Totem Trail
 

The first of many many bald eagles we saw during the voyage...this along my first Alaska trail

After the run, on-land cruise activities started. One stop was to the Fortress of the Bear bear rescue center. I think the Alaskan Dream folk wanted to impress upon us that Thou Shalt Not Mess With Bears. (Kendall took this photo - hooray for zoom lenses!)

Then it was on to the Chichagof Dream and off we go!

Cruise Day 2

First light

We sailed off to a bay along Admiralty Island where Steve and I kayaked - smoooooth paddling and beautiful, misty scenery.

Steve and I at the ready

Kayaks at the ready

Misty, beautiful, oh so peaceful

Next stop was Kake, a Tlingit village where we met with a totem pole carver followed by a trip to a fish hatchery (and bear sighting!) and capped off the visit with dancing.

Garden seen along the road to town

Seen on the other side of the river. Phew!

Master totem carver

Describing a totem

Tlinget dancers - always start with their backs to the audience to show their clan regalia

Then we join in - a young Tlingit checks out Steve's eagle footwork

Cruise Day 3
On this day we visited Petersburg, a town founded by a Norwegian (Peter Buschmann) in the 1800s. This visit offered an opportunity for another trail run (this one along the Hungry Point Trail through muskeg (boggy) land) as well as the chance to enjoy a performance of Norwegian dances presented by school kids who also served up homemade Norwegian pastries. Quite the treat!  As we sailed away from Petersburg we reveled in sights of stellar sea lions, whales, and the evening sunset and moon rise over snow-capped peaks and glaciers.

First light as we near Petersburg

Petersburg harbor

Our introduction to Petersburg:

Sailors Memorial

Greeted by Norwegian dancers/school children

The decorated hall

Followed by our rambles and sights from around town:

View from one of the muskeg trails

 

Truck garden

 
 A couple of the 12 cannery-label trash cans found around town:

And art work... 

 

Art work at the docks

On an outside wall of the library

Quilt inside the library

Man Cave

Birdhouse

Yard Art

Porch garden

Leaving Petersburg ...

 

It was a good day.

Next Up!

Alaska! Flying into Sitka, then embarking on an 8-day small ship cruise, finishing up in Juneau! I'm hoping to get in a trail run in Sitka early in the morning before boarding the ship, perhaps a trail run on one of our stops along the cruise, and there's a chance of a trail run in Juneau. I've already told myself that it is A-OK if I don't run every day, but I sure do want to add Alaska to my Quest for a Trail Run In Every State list!

Beauty still abounds

Some days, the news of the world can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there is still much beauty to be found - in the most mundane of every day living as well as in the grandeur of the universe.

For example, just while walking across campus to work:

Turtles in varsity pond. How many can you count today?!

Wildflowers near Boulder Creek

A fawn and mama doe looking toward the stadium

Or the astounding sight of these furry visitors moseying past our house while I was outside pulling weeds!











 Of course, the joy of a run with friends never fails to brighten the day.

Then there was the incomparable beauty of August 21st's total solar eclipse which we were so fortunate to be able to witness in the company of my boss of 24 years. We traveled to his post-retirement property in Wyoming to join in on the eclipse festivities with his family- including his daughter who was celebrating her birthday on eclipse day!

The gang gathers to watch the eclipse in progress

Eclipsing through Bob's straw hat

Best show on the planet at that moment

Compilation photo of eclipse in progress from National Geographic

From the spectacular celestial show we came back home to the simple beauty of a columbine blooming out of season. Yes, all around us, miraculous beauty. Take a moment and marvel.

Getting back in that saddle

Or so the saying goes when one gets bucked by the bronc. In my case, today, it was getting back on the trail after getting bucked by roots, rocks and vicious hoop (the latter of which happened on a sidewalk, not a trail, but was by far the worst of the buckings).

Mesa Trail. I can do this, yes I can!

After four falls in a couple of weeks, my fear of falling was reaching an all-time high, and that is just not acceptable. For one, I love the peace, quiet, and beauty that is found on trail runs. And for two, I still have trails to run in 20 states (and D.C.!)  to complete my quest to run a trail in every state. I must raise my trail running confidence. And I figure there's no better way than to get back out there and negotiate those rocks, roots, ups, downs, ruts, and hillocks as light- and sure-footedly as possible. Fortunately, trails abound in Boulder. From my house, I ran a mile or so west then, as scribbled in my running log, up Boomerang to Enchanted Mesa to Mesa down Skunk to NCAR base and on home. Lots of trail. Lots of rocks, roots, and hills. Lots of people and loose dogs to add to the equation. A fair amount of walking amidst the running. And no falling. At one point, during a downhill with my knees and hip protesting from the hoop fall, I wondered what would happen if I fell again and I truly did not know if I'd even be able to walk comfortably afterward. No, I don't want to fall again, but I sure don't want the fear of falling to overwhelm me. A couple of hours out in the sunshine, in the company of deer, rabbits, birdsong, dragonflies above, butterflies flitting around me, long views across the plains and near views of canyons and pines provided a rather positive step forward toward conquering fear.

Twice is two too many!

Today, for the second time in my life while running, I stepped on a metal hoop, flipping it up with one foot, and catching it with my other foot - all in a split second of action. Both times sent me crashing to the ground. Youch!

Bottom of pic shows hoop trickery. Knee-high bit of pic shows just what the evil hoop can do.

My heartfelt appeal to the handful of you who read my blog: if you happen to have a metal hoop in your possession, do please keep track of it! (Apparently they are clever escape artists.) And when you are finished with said metal hoop, please-oh-please dispose of it properly. The middle of a sidewalk or road is simply not a good final resting place for hoops!

Glass 60% full or 40% empty?

When we got back from our June/July trip to Michigan - with a stop in Ohio for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park trail run in my 28th trail-quest-state on the way to Michigan, a run along the North Country trail in Michigan for state #29, and a stop in North Dakota for trail/state #30 - one of my running buddies said "you know you still have 40% of the states to go."  Fortunately, the attitude that had me always believing I would be running into Petoskey from my starting point in Boulder is still going strong with this quest to run a trail in every state. Yep, I've had the delight of running a trail in 30 - THIRTY - states so far during this quest. How cool is that!?!?!

I must admit, though, North Dakota's trail was pretty goofy. We were on a bit of a tight deadline to get back to Boulder so looked for trails toward the eastern side of North Dakota. I found a trail system in the town of Jamestown with a trail that wound some number of miles around the area of the National Buffalo Museum which was of great interest to me, being the University of Colorado Buffaloes fan that I am. When we arrived at the spot where the trail was supposed to start we found a dirt road but no trailhead so down the road we went ("down" being the operative word - steep!). We finally found a trail marker - Yay! - and out I went with the temps in the 90s - Yikes!.  The dirt trail wound through tall prairie grass. I ran along, keeping an eagle eye out for snakes, circled around a little grove of trees and realized the trail seemed to be turning back toward the dirt road. I looked around and saw some bits where the prairie grass was flattened so I followed those and found myself in a bunch of loop-dy-loops ending back at the trail that headed back to the dirt road - so back to the dirt road I went. Following the road back the way we came (since the other way led to a city street and seemed all wrong) I watched closely for more trail signs. Found one! Whoop! But, alas, there was a fence, gate, padlock, and barbed wire between me and what looked to be the trail. I ran alongside the fence a bit but got to a dead end at a large culvert with still no access through the fence to the trail. So - back to the road once again. And, once again, found another little trail marker. This time the trail went up up up and I could see the museum grounds ahead so texted Kendall that I was coming his way running uphill. But, oops! there the trail goes down down down back to the road again. Good golly Miss Molly what the heck?! So back to the road, no more trail signs, and up the hill to be greeted by Kendall and Taz - who wasn't able to run with me due to the heat but loves licking the salt off his favorite runner. So, yes, got a trail run done in North Dakota, and I'm counting it - but I figure I owe North Dakota another visit for a Real Trail.

Found the trail marker!

 

Fence, padlock, and barbed wire between me and the trail. Harumph!

WooHoo! More trail! No fence!

Off the trail and up the hill to Kendall. Trail quest state #30 done!

Roasted, toasted and done!

 Sights at the National Buffalo Museum

The world's largest buffalo: 26-foot tall, 60-ton concrete sculpture, created in 1959. (And Taz, the amazing cattle dog.)

White buffalo, Dakota Miracle, son of White Cloud, the first of the rare albino buffaloes in the herd.